Does social media even matter anymore? 

I mentioned this to a friend today, and she asked, are there people who don’t think it matters? 

Well, the answer is complicated. It’s yes and no. Sort of one of those “it depends” kind of things. 

This is what we cover in episode 4 of my podcast.

Here’s the thing. Online platforms like Facebook and Instagram have never, I will say that again, NEVER been the end all. 

But there have always been “experts” (like serious, sarcastic, air bunnies right there) who have been shooting all over the place, that in order to be successful, you have to have a profile everywhere. 

That is a complete and utter lie, and keeps us mired in the hustle that brought us to where many of us are right now. We’re overextended, stuck in perfectionism, (or is that just me?), taking up way too much time and not driving any results that actually have value for bringing more clients and money into our businesses. 

So let’s talk a little bit today about how you can take the power in making it matter. 

You can do this in a couple ways. 

1. You can control the noise
2. You can control the narrative 

So first, how can you control the noise? 

Oh, these are my four FAVORITE social media words:

hide, snooze, unfriend, and block.

And before you ask, (because I’m sure somebody’s thinking it), no, nobody knows when you have unfriended them. 

So do you all remember in the beginning of Facebook, finding and connecting with people was a fun game? I know I requested friends with everyone I had ever met. High school, college, rainbow girls, et cetera, et cetera.

If I met them one time at a networking event, I sent them a friend request. That was really great and fun at first, but over time, this has not served me. And now I’m actively unfriending people.

Not because of anything they have said or done, but mostly because I have no idea who they even are at this point. Now, don’t get me wrong, there have been people I’ve unfriended for being jerks, but I don’t really care if they notice or not.

Anyway, if you aren’t sure about someone or if their content is bugging you currently, that’s a great use for the hide button.

Let me tell you a little story.

So, a number of years ago, there was a business coach who I’m guessing you all know, so I’ll leave them unnamed. They were getting ready to launch their annual coaching offer and had tons of  affiliates also trying to sell their program.

The problem was, since they were all getting paid on the back end, it started to feel like a competition for who could offer the coolest bonuses to make you want to buy from them. It was really ridiculous.

Side note, collaboration beats competition every time.

So, I did myself a huge favor that year, and I hid every ad from anyone who was an affiliate of that program. The added benefit to doing this is I have never again had to see any ads from those folks. I feel like that has saved me a ton of frustration.

When people complain about Facebook in particular, I often remind them about the amount of control that we actually do have. Not only with the hide, snooze, unfriend and block, but we also have some control in who we see on our newsfeed.

So, when you’re more intentional about how you consume content, that should also adjust your feed. This happens most often with comments instead of reactions.

It’s also important to be intentional with the time you spend.

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard over the years that Facebook is just a time suck.

Well, is it? Or are you allowing yourself to be distracted?

Look, we could talk at length about the time suck that can be social media and we will, I promise more in episodes to come.

So, here’s the other thing about social media mattering and why I say yes. Heck yes it does.

You have the ability to control the narrative. Your presence and content can be bringing people to you.

How does this happen?

The short answer is this. They meet you or find out about you somehow (maybe a virtual introduction, et cetera). They might go read about you on your website, or read your blog posts, or listen to a podcast you’ve been on.

They might also follow your pages or connect with you either as a friend on Facebook or follow you on Instagram. You get the drift.

They read your posts over time and basically they get to know you. Or they get to feel like they know you.

Then they book a call or reach out in some other way. In those cases, their decision is almost already made because they feel like they know you. I will be the first to admit there is rarely a direct correlation between a single post on social media and someone hiring you because of that post.

But it’s your expertise. It’s what you are building over time that has had the opportunity to win them over. Make sense?

So, you always know I ask this question, what is one action item you can take based on what you’ve read?

I would love to hear from you. What might you shift or change to control the noise and to control the narrative live?